People and coastal communities have both valued and benefited from Great Lakes fisheries throughout time. These Great Lakes fisheries – a story of people, fish, and fishing – are dynamic and ever changing. The Great Lakes Fisheries Heritage Trail seeks to connect people and places, information and experiences for those interested in engaging in this story.

A newly launched website for the Great Lakes Fisheries Heritage Trail offers interactive opportunities to explore the past, present and future of the lakes through the lens of fish and fishing.

Explore the Great Lakes Fisheries Heritage Trail

Museum exhibits and educational opportunities along this trail highlight our fisheries heritage, ecology and management, economic and social issues that have defined coastal communities across the Great Lakes. The trail includes museums, coastal fishing communities, fish markets and processing facilities, events, research and science centers throughout the region.

Expanded access to organizational and educational information that may be of interest to educators, history buffs, or fish enthusiasts.

A community-supported website – learn how to get involved

The Great Lakes Fisheries Heritage Trail represents a network and partnership among museum, maritime heritage, and fisheries partners cooperating to promote our fisheries heritage. The collective efforts of these partners is helping to preserve and interpret historical artifacts, enhance local communities and heritage-based tourism, and offer educational opportunities focusing on Great Lakes literacy and stewardship.

A collaborative Design Teamreflecting many federal, state, and local organizational partners and dedicated individuals contributed countless hours of enthusiasm and expertise, design creativity, and content for this site. This is a community-driven website — everyone’s contributions to the Great Lakes Fisheries Heritage story are invited.

Attendees learned how a broad category of chemicals known as PFAS might impact human health and heard examples of state and local government response.

By: Katelyn Brolick and Dan O’Keefe

Drinking water contamination is another route of PFAS exposure that has been gaining public attention since the discovery of contaminated wells in Rockford and Plainfield Township last year.

This year’s Ottawa County Water Quality Forum was held on Nov. 19, 2018, in West Olive, Mich. The forum tackled many water quality issues that face county residents, including plastic pollution, saltwater intrusion into wells, and the impact of excess nutrients in local lakes. One of the bigger issues tackled at the forum was PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Dr. Richard Rediske of Grand Valley State University’s Annis Water Resources Institute has been looking into the effects and contamination of the chemical for the past five years. Dr. Rediske addressed the Water Quality Forum and provided facts on the harmful properties of these chemicals, as well as their many uses.

PFAS exposure

According to Dr. Rediske, PFAS is a broad category of more than 4,000 different chemical compounds which includes PFOS and PFOA. These chemicals are water soluble and are highly mobile within the environment. The fluorine-carbon bonds in PFAS are the fourth strongest bonds in nature, making PFAS very difficult to break down and dispose of. These chemicals are entering the environment and human bodies through exposure to a variety of products including firefighting foam, fast food wrappers, popcorn bags, pizza boxes, and car wax to name a few. Drinking water contamination is another route of PFAS exposure that has been gaining public attention since the discovery of contaminated wells in Rockford and Plainfield Township last year.

These chemicals bind to albumin in the bloodstream and are reabsorbed by the kidneys in humans.This results in a half-life of 4 to 7 years in humans. In animal studies, rats excrete PFAS chemicals in 1 to 3 days, so scientific studies using common test organisms do not reflect the same exposure levels as humans. The risks associated with long-term exposure are not fully understood, and standards for monitoring are still under development. Possible health effects of excessive PFAS exposure include increased risk of cancer, elevated cholesterol, a compromised immune system, and thyroid disease.

Protecting Michigan citizens

To close out the forum, a panel of PFAS experts convened to answer questions from the public. Dr. Rediske was joined by Abigail Hendershott, (Michigan Department of Environmental Quality), Cameron Van Wyngarden (Plainfield Township Superintendent), and Douglas Van Essen (attorney with Silver and Van Essen). Hendershott discussed what the Michigan PFAS taskforce is doing to help protect Michigan’s citizens. The taskforce is sampling all community water sources and schools that have their own water source. They are now moving on to testing daycares and some residential wells. Through testing, Robinson Elementary in Ottawa County was found at 171 parts per trillion (ppt). This exceeds the EPA’s 70 ppt recommendation for combined PFOS and PFOA. Water bottles were allocated to the school for drinking and cooking. A more permanent solution has not been discussed with the public.

Cameron Van Wyngarden discussed the solution that Plainfield Township adopted when they found their municipal sources were highly contaminated. They are now using carbon to filter all of the township’s water. Carbon filter can be an effective way to remove PFAS and PFOA from your home water tap. Douglas Van Essen added that, although PFAS are highly mobile and resistant to degradation, the human body does gradually excrete them over a period of years. This means that people can expect contamination in their bodies to gradually decline if sources of environmental exposure are cleaned up or eliminated.

Learn more

If you are concerned about your water source or would like more information on the topic the www.michigan.gov/pfasresponse site is an excellent source of information. Presentations from Dr. Rediske and other PFAS panel members are now online at the Ottawa County website.

Projects on the Detroit River take a break over winter, but more are planned for 2019.

By: Mary Bohling

Completed in 2018, the Lake Okonoka project includes restoration of 45 acres of aquatic and upland habitat. Photo credit: Friends of the Detroit River

Cold weather is settling over the Great Lakes, including connecting waters such as the Detroit River. As construction companies wrap up their 2018 on-water operations until spring, several habitat restoration projects are put on hold. It has been a busy year for habitat restoration in the Detroit River for Michigan Sea Grant and our partners, such as Friends of the Detroit River. Much was accomplished but there is also much left to do when construction season begins in 2019.

Fish Spawning Reefs

A 4-acre fish spawning reef offshore of Fort Wayne was completed by the University of Michigan Water Center, Michigan Sea Grant, US FWS, USGS and other partners. This 2018 project brings the total number of fish spawning reefs constructed through this Detroit River partnership since 2003 to six for a total of more than 15 acres. 2018 also brought great news regarding the use of the constructed spawning reefs. It was the first time that fertilized eggs from the endangered lake sturgeon were found on all constructed reefs in the Detroit River.

Stony Island

More than 100 acres of coastal and upland habitat were enhanced and protected as a result of this project that was completed in the spring of 2018. The project increases ecological benefits for fish and wildlife including the re-establishment of spawning and nursery habitat for commercial, sport and forage fish species; revitalization of coastal wetlands; and protection of terrestrial resources within the Detroit River watershed. The project included construction of 3,500 linear feet (LF) of continuous rock shoals and 600 LF of shoal islands with nesting habitat for common terns; 92 habitat structures for mudpuppies, turtles and fish including rock piles, basking logs and woody debris bundles; creation of 50 acres of calm backwater for fish spawning and nursery activity; 10 acres of vegetation management including invasive species control; and protection from erosion for 52 acres of island habitat.

Celeron Island

Habitat restoration on and around the island is currently underway. Construction of 4,000 linear feet of rock shoals will be halted as winter sets in but will begin again in the spring of 2019. When completed in 2019, more than 100 acres of coastal wetlands, hibernacula for snakes, turtle nesting beaches, and common tern nesting areas will have been created.

Detroit Upper Riverfront Parks

Approximately 25 acres of wetlands, upland prairies and other habitat types will be constructed in 2019 at A.B. Ford and Lakewood-East Parks. In 2018, contractors hired by the US Environmental Protection Agency completed design plans to create habitat for fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians and pollinators. The city of Detroit also recently announced plans to add new playground equipment and other public amenities to the parks.

Milliken State Park

Through National Fish and Wildlife Funding (NFWF) via the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), the Michigan Department of Natural Resources restored native habitats on nearly an acre of property in 2018 at Milliken State Park located in downtown Detroit and directly across from the Outdoor Adventure Center. The property, previously lawn and filled with invasive species, was restored to a wet meadow and prairie complex including a mass shrub planting along the Detroit River and small trees that will eventually line an existing walkway with shade as they grow.

Lake Okonoka

Completed in 2018, this project includes restoration of 45 acres of aquatic and upland habitat. Lake Okonoka’s enhancements combined with the recent opening of Blue Heron Lagoon (another 41 acres) to the Detroit River will increase the availability of calm spawning and nursery habitat for Great Lakes fish. Deep water pools, basking logs and other habitat features will also benefit turtles, mudpuppies, snakes, mammals and birds. Completion of a new direct connection from Lake Okonoka to the Detroit River is expected to occur in 2019.

Belle Isle Flatwoods

Design plans for 280 acres of wet-mesic flatwoods on Belle Isle were completed in 2018. Permits will be applied for by the Michigan DNR Parks staff who will also secure construction funding. The project is expected to get underway in 2020, pending funding availability.

Hennipen Marsh

The design portion of the project, estimated to be about 40 acres of coastal marsh, is currently underway with field data being gathered. Feasibility and design are expected to be completed mid-2019 with construction happening once permits and funding are secured.

Sugar Island

More than 60 people attended a public meeting on Nov. 14, 2018, to talk about the preliminary results of a feasibility and design project at Sugar Island. The island is owned and managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. Design plans were completed in 2018 that include the creation of rocky shoals, protection of bluffs and other habitat features. Permits will be sought in 2019 with construction expected to begin late 2019 or early 2020, pending funding.

Find more information about many of these habitat projects can be found on the Friends of the Detroit River Projects webpage.

Michigan schools are invited to participate in the 2019 Aquaculture Challenge program. The aquaculture challenge is a science and business competition in which teams of students design and create an aquaponics system. The competition is composed of three parts, including: 1) Designing and creating a system, 2) Monitoring the system, and 3) Creating a business plan to accompany the system.

Student teams are provided a free Arduino control board and probes as well as a water chemistry monitoring kit. Student teams provide their own equipment to create the aquaponics system. This program is sponsored and run through Lake Superior State University and Michigan Sea Grant.

The registration deadline for this year is January 30, 2019 (*NOTE: Deadline extended from January 19). There is also an optional open house where students can visit Lake Superior State on January 24 (*NOTE: Event moved from January 11). The competition then runs through the end of March. Student teams must submit three videos showcasing their accomplishments, as well as supporting materials, by April 8. A virtual awards ceremony will be held April 11. These dates and an overview of the competition can be found here. The team rules manual with detailed information about the competition is here.

Registering a team is free and easy. Simply click here and fill out the required information. Teams can work on the competition as part of a class or as an after-school activity. Multiple teams can register per school, and teams can also register as part of a club or other academic-related organization.

Additional information about this competition and aquaculture in the classroom can be found at www.ncrac-yea.org

Opportunities for graduate students

Graduate students with a wide range of backgrounds (e.g., science, policy, law) and a strong interest in Great Lakes, coastal, or marine issues are encouraged to apply. Programs require a full-time commitment and most, but not all, fellows participate after graduating.

Knauss Marine Policy: The Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program matches graduate students with “hosts,” such as congressional offices, NOAA branches, or other federal agencies. Fellows work on a range of policy and management projects related to ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources. Application deadline February 22, 2019.

NOAA Coastal Management: This program places recent graduate students in state coastal management programs. Fellows spend two years working on projects related to climate change, shoreline protection, spatial planning, or other coastal issues. Apply by January 18, 2019.

Michigan Sea Grant Extension Fellowship: This program is designed for Michigan State University master’s or doctoral students interested in engaged scholarship for research and Extension engagement within the Great Lakes region. Apply by March 29, 2019.

Opportunities for graduate students

Graduate students with a wide range of backgrounds (e.g., science, policy, law) and a strong interest in Great Lakes, coastal, or marine issues are encouraged to apply. Programs require a full-time commitment and most, but not all, fellows participate after graduating.

Knauss Marine Policy: The Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program matches graduate students with “hosts,” such as congressional offices, NOAA branches, or other federal agencies. Fellows work on a range of policy and management projects related to ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources. Application deadline February 22, 2019.

NOAA Coastal Management: This program places recent graduate students in state coastal management programs. Fellows spend two years working on projects related to climate change, shoreline protection, spatial planning, or other coastal issues. Apply by January 18, 2019.

Michigan Sea Grant Extension Fellowship: This program is designed for Michigan State University master’s or doctoral students interested in engaged scholarship for research and Extension engagement within the Great Lakes region. Apply by March 29, 2019.

Opportunities for graduate students

Graduate students with a wide range of backgrounds (e.g., science, policy, law) and a strong interest in Great Lakes, coastal, or marine issues are encouraged to apply. Programs require a full-time commitment and most, but not all, fellows participate after graduating.

Knauss Marine Policy: The Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program matches graduate students with “hosts,” such as congressional offices, NOAA branches, or other federal agencies. Fellows work on a range of policy and management projects related to ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources. Application deadline February 22, 2019.

NOAA Coastal Management: This program places recent graduate students in state coastal management programs. Fellows spend two years working on projects related to climate change, shoreline protection, spatial planning, or other coastal issues. Apply by January 18, 2019.

Michigan Sea Grant Extension Fellowship: This program is designed for Michigan State University master’s or doctoral students interested in engaged scholarship for research and Extension engagement within the Great Lakes region. Apply by March 29, 2019.

Michigan Sea Grant Extension will be coordinating a daylong, educational program on current issues affecting the Great Lakes commercial fishing industry. The program will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. on Saturday, January 26, 2019 as part of the Michigan Fish Producers Association Annual Conference at the Park Place Hotel in Traverse City.

There is no charge for attending this event. For additional information please contact Ron Kinnunen (Michigan Sea Grant Extension) at (906) 226-3687 or kinnune1@msu.edu

Michigan Sea Grant is initiating a summer internship program for undergraduate students to work with a partner school, organization, or business to pursue a research project related to Great Lakes environmental stewardship. Funding is available for up to eight students the summer of 2019. Application details and submission deadline available at the link below.

January 19, 2019

West Shore Community College
Administration and Conference Building
3000 North Stiles Road, Scottville, MI 49454

The annual Ludington Regional Fishery Workshop addresses issues important to Lake Michigan charter captains, recreational anglers, and conservationists. This year’s event will feature a broad range of topics including sea lamprey control, exotic mussels, and the balance of predators and prey fish in Lake Michigan.

The afternoon will close with a special session on cormorant control. Depredation orders allowed for lethal control of cormorants before a 2016 federal court decision struck the orders down. The afternoon session will provide historical context on the issue with an eye toward the future.

PRE-REGISTER online or by phone by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 15. Pre-registration is $30/person and includes lunch. If you have not attended this workshop in the past, you will need to create an account create an account to register online. To register by phone call Cara Mitchell at (231) 843-5825.

For those who do not register in advance, walk-in registration is $35/person and lunch may not be included depending on availability.